Increase perennial grass productivity with serradella

2014
CC BY 4.0

Research organisatons
Funding sources

Trial details

Researcher(s) David Ferris (DAFWA)
Geoff Moore (DAFWA)
Christiaan Valentine (DAFWA)
Year(s) 2014
Contributor West Midlands Group
Trial location(s) Regans Ford, WA
Increase perennial grass productivity with serradella locations
Aims

To evaluate the influence of perennial row spacing and grass suppression on the performance of serradella summer sown into subtropical perennial-grass pastures.

Key messages

EverCrop research reported in this and previous Crop Updates (2010-2014) has built up a sound knowledge base on the viability, performance and economics of pasture cropping and companion annual legume based systems for fragile soils in the Northern Agricultural Region that are marginal for continuous cropping. Collectively, trials at Mingenew and Dandaragan over the past two seasons (2013 & 2014) have demonstrated that subtropical perennial grass pastures lift the overall productivity of deep sandy soils, extend the period of available green feed, convert summer rainfall into feed, reduce the winter and summer weed burden, and increase ground cover.

Lead research organisation Department of Agriculture and Food WA
Host research organisation West Midlands Group
Trial funding source DAFWA
Trial funding source MLA
Trial funding source GRDC
Related program N/A
Acknowledgments

Thanks to Daisy and Peter Negus for hosting the trial, the DAFWA Geraldton Research Support Unit for sowing and managing the trial and West Midlands Group for their collaboration with extension activities. This research was funded by DAFWA in collaboration with the MLA Feedbase project and GRDC’s EverCrop III project: Developing new mixed farming options.


Other trial partners Not specified
Download the trial report to view additional trial information

Method

Crop type : N/A
Treatment type(s)
  • Sowing: Row Spacing
Trial type Experimental
Trial design Replicated

Regans Ford 2014

Sow rate or Target density 30kg/ha of pod
Sowing machinery

DAFWA cone seeder, with tines 22cm apart and aligned to sow between Gatton panic rows that had been established in 2012 (44 and 88cm apart).

Sow date 18 February 2014
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size 7m x 15m
Plot replication 3
Fertiliser

Super potash (3:1, 160kg/ha) was top-dressed across all plots prior to sowing.

Herbicide

As serradella was summer sown in February, no knockdown was used. All plots were sprayed with Broadstrike® (25g/ha) in May to control volunteer lupin. Three of the serradella treatments were sprayed with a grass selective herbicide (Select® at 500mL/ha) on 1 July to suppress the growth of Gatton panic and control annual grass weeds.

Download the trial report to view additional method/treatment information
Trial source data and summary not available
Check the trial report PDF for trial results.
Observed trial site soil information
Trial site soil testing
Not specified
Soil conditions
Trial site Soil texture
Regans Ford, WA Deep sand
Derived trial site soil information
Australian Soil Classification Source: ASRIS
Trial site Soil order
Regans Ford, WA Tenosol
Soil Moisture Source: BOM/ANU
Average amount of water stored in the soil profile during the year, estimated by the OzWALD model-data fusion system.
Year Regans Ford WA
2014 133.1mm
2013 151.9mm
2012 138.2mm
2011 136.9mm
2010 129.1mm
2009 142.1mm
2008 151.9mm
2007 107.9mm
2006 103.7mm
2005 142.2mm
2004 124.4mm
2003 142.9mm
2002 113.0mm
2001 115.0mm
2000 134.4mm
National soil grid Source: CSIRO/TERN
NOTE: National Soil Grid data is aggregated information for background information on the wider area
Actual soil values can vary significantly in a small area and the trial soil tests are the most relevant data where available

Soil properties

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Climate

Regans Ford WA 2014


Observed climate information

Rainfall avg ann (mm) 516mm

Derived climate information

Regans Ford WA

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Some data on this site is sourced from the Bureau of Meteorology

SILO weather estimates sourced from https://www.longpaddock.qld.gov.au/silo/
Jeffrey, S.J., Carter, J.O., Moodie, K.B. and Beswick, A.R. (2001). Using spatial interpolation to construct a comprehensive archive of Australian climate data , Environmental Modelling and Software, Vol 16/4, pp 309-330. DOI: 10.1016/S1364-8152(01)00008-1.

Trial report and links

2014 trial report



Trial last modified: 23-07-2019 10:48am AEST